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Draining a pool with a garden hose can take between eight and 14 hours depending on the depth of your pool and whether you use a sump pump. Be sure to stay close to the pool during this time to ensure the structure of your pool remains unharmed and that the water drains properly.

Generally, you do not need to drain your pool to convert it to a saltwater system. The main exception is if you have used an antibacterial agent containing polyhexamethylene biguanide to sanitize your pool, as these sanitation products do not mix well with saltwater systems. If this is the case, you will need to start fresh. You can either drain the pool or treat the existing water with a high dose of chlorine to remove the antibacterial agent. If you choose the chlorine treatment, wait several days to allow the chlorine to work before proceeding with the conversion. If you are unsure whether this applies to your pool, consult a pool technician.

No, shock and chlorine are not the same thing, though they are related and both are used for pool maintenance. Regular chlorine, often in the form of tablets, is a sanitizer used for routine, day-to-day maintenance to keep a steady chlorine level. Pool shock, however, is a highly concentrated dose of chlorine used periodically for a more intense cleaning. It rapidly raises chlorine levels to fix issues like cloudy water or algae growth and also eliminates chloramines, which are byproducts of regular chlorination. Because their purposes and concentrations differ, they are not interchangeable, and proper pool care typically requires using both.

Swim spas are like hybrid hot tubs and pools. They have the heating and jets of a hot tub, but they’re slightly longer because they’re made for swimming and exercise. A jet provides a continuous current that acts like a water treadmill. You can swim the length of a full-size pool without going anywhere.